Boeing's Safety Record Continues to Crumble

The Boeing company has faced intense scrutiny over its safety record and treatment of whistleblowers following two fatal crashes in 2018. The company's 737 Max aircraft, a newer and more fuel-efficient model certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2017, was grounded after the crashes resulted in 346 fatalities.

Director Rory Kennedy revisits the Boeing story in her documentary Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing, which explores the company's obsession with profit and maintaining a competitive edge. Kennedy notes that Boeing had initially taken responsibility for its actions, but soon after the 737 Max returned to service, safety issues began to resurface.

The documentary highlights the case of John Barnett, a prime whistleblower who spent 32 years working in quality control at Boeing. Barnett reported on manufacturing negligence and was eventually disciplined and 'benched' by the company. He died in March 2024, just days before he was set to testify against Boeing.

Barnett's death is seen as a tragic consequence of Boeing's treatment of whistleblowers. The company's safety culture has been described as being scrapped in the modern era, with quality inspectors being undermined and harassed for doing their job. Outsourcing parts became the norm, and engineers and quality inspectors no longer held sway.